Darkest Before Dawn
by Stochern
Summary: \\Warning, this story does discuss depression and the such. If you are adverse to such topics I recommend avoiding./ Harry Potter and co return from the Department of Mysteries and everything is not how it seems. One-Shot.


**A/N – Hello, welcome to my first story. I'd like to start off by saying that the premise of this story is in no way lighthearted or to be taken lightly. I suffer from severe depression and I always wish it could be easier. This story though I got the idea of when I was brainstorming stories that I could write for Harry Potter when "Bullet" by Hollywood Undead came on. I knew instantly what I wanted to write. Well enough babbling, enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer – I do not own any of the characters produced by J.K. Rowling and her works. This is completely non-profit.**

It was a beautiful day at the Burrow. It was early July and the morning air was starting to get crisper as summer slowly turned into autumn. In the air you could smell the cooking of Mrs. Weasley in the air as the Burrow household came to life. Everything wasn't as it seemed though. Less than a month prior had been "The Battle of the Department of Mysteries" as the Daily Prophet was referring to it as, and everyone was still feeling the shock from it. Especially Harry. Harry was the most despondent. Due to the loss of his godfather, Sirius Black. He had grown extremely reclusive and quiet, eating when meal time came around, but would just go back up to Ron's room after he finished. It was that morning when Hermione and Ron decided that maybe they should talk to their best friend.

"We need to do something, this can't keep going on." Hermione whispered into Ron's ear as they watched Harry trudge up the stairs.

"I know, but what can we say. I mean really, he lost his godfather. His life was supposed to get better not worse." Ron replied, frowning as they heard Harry's footsteps fade into low echoes.

"Well guess what? You can stay here Ron, but I'm going to help OUR friend." Hermione huffed before turning to Molly and asking to be excused from the table. Molly smiled and let her go before turning back to her husband and resuming their conversation. Before walking off Hermione took one last look at Ron before turning her head and marching off after Harry.

"Bloody hell." Ron whispered to himself before the twins caught his attention.

"What did you do this time ickle ronniekins." George teased looking at Ron.

"Yeah, you seemed to piss her off more than usual this time." Fred added before being chastised by his mom about "language at the table."

Ron shook his head and without asking to be excused went to follow Hermione before he dug himself a deeper grave.

Hermione was almost to Ron's door when she heard him come bounding up the stairs behind her. She just looked at Ron and turned back towards the door silently thanking Merlin that she wouldn't have to be alone when talking to Ron.

Even though it was Ron's room, they knocked out of courtesy. There was a sound of shuffling before everything went quiet. There were a few more moments of silence before they heard Harry's muffled voice from inside. "Come in."

Ron and Hermione opened the door and took tentative steps into the low-ceiling room. They saw Harry sitting on the edge of the bed just looking at them. "Hey, you all right? Mate." Ron asked.

"Yeah, fine." Harry responded looking rather dejected at the moment. Both Ron and Hermione took a seat across from Harry.

Hermione took a deep breath before she started. "We're just worried about you, Harry. You have hardly said ten sentences since…" Hermione paused. "That Night." She carefully finished.

"Yeah, we're your best friends Harry. We worry about you constantly. You hardly eat and I can hear you talking in your sleep about what happened." Ron said.

Harry just sat there looking at his two friends not saying a word, or showing an emotion before just suddenly breaking down. "I…I just can't take it anymore." Harry sobbed, during which Hermione and Ron quickly jumped to sit by their friend. Harry continued "It just isn't fair. Why me? Why me?!" He got loud and angry for a second before going back to sobbing into his hands. "Voldemort and his lackeys have to take everything from me. First he killed my parents. I had to live with my abusive aunt and uncle because of that." Hermione put a hand on Harry's leg and Ron put his arm around his friend. "I thought everything would change for the better." Harry continued. "I found a new world with people like me, but every year that FUCKER…" Harry spat out the last word like a disease. "keeps coming back, except for the year I met Sirius." Harry said suddenly softening. "I thought I would finally have a home to go back to every summer until school was done. I could never have been happier until…" A gloom cast over Harrys face as he stopped talking. He didn't need to finish the sentence; Hermione and Ron knew exactly what he meant.

There was silence for a few minutes as Hermione saw that it looked like Harry was fighting with an inner demon, trying to say something but just couldn't until. "I've thought non-stop the last month about killing myself, guys."

The blow to Hermione and Ron's stomachs couldn't hurt worse than if a mountain troll had clubbed them as hard as it could. "I've also found Fred and George's stash of Firewhiskey. I haven't been talking because I don't want everyone to smell the alcohol on my breath. In fact it's 9 A.M. and I've already started drinking." Harry finished.

Ron looked as if the Chudley Cannons had been scrapped from Professional Quidditch League completely. Hermione on the other hand had tears spilling down her cheeks as she stared at Harry. No one said anything for 30 seconds or more before Hermione reached out and grabbed Harry's arm. Causing Harry to wince, Hermione on a hunch lifted Harry's sleeve and saw multiple white lines from the scars that were on his arm. Harry turned and looked Hermione in the eyes, before saying "It's the only way to distract myself from the pain of losing Sirius."

Hermione broke down harder than before, before she slapped Harry across the face as hard as she could. In the moment she couldn't tell who looked more shocked, Ron or Harry. All she knew is her hand hurt, but she ignored it and stood up.

"I know that wasn't how you're supposed to handle these types of situations, I'm sorry." She said before kneeling down in front of Harry. "We love you, Harry. I love you, and I know you've lost so much but you still have us. You still have all the Weasleys, Remus, all the Order members, Hogwarts, your passion for flying, everything that makes you, you. No matter what Voldemort does to you, you still have your future ahead of you and the people by your side. I don't think you're wrong Harry for feeling that way, but in the end death is inevitable. We are always going to be with you to help you pick yourself up and help you along the way." Hermione said looking Harry straight in the eyes.

"We are always going to be with you, whether we have our little spats or not." Ron chipped in from Harry's left.

Harry looked at both of his friends and for the first time in the month that his godfather died, Harry smiled.

"It's not going to be easy, Harry but we need to get you help before anything else happens or before something drastic we will all regret for the rest of our lives." Hermione continued from the floor still looking at Harry.

Hermione and Ron both stood and offered their hands out to him.

For the first and last time Harry knew his friends would always be there for him, he realized that the answer to being truly happy was always in front of him and he always took it for granted. He looked at both his friends and decided life was worth living no matter how hard it may be. He reached out and grabbed their hands before standing up.

"Are you sure, Harry? It's going to be a lot of treatment and counseling. If you don't want it, it won't help you." Hermione said looking at him.

"Yes, I'm sure. The family I always wanted was right here, and I'm never letting go." Harry said wrapping his friends up in a hug. The hugged him back and turned towards the door. Harry was the first to take a step forward. "Let's do this." He said reaching for the door handle.


End file.
